Music, Theatre, and Dance Spotlight - April 2016

The North American Drama Therapy Association's Central Region held their annual regional conference at K-State April 16-17. There were 40 attendees. Many presenters were graduates of the K-State program. Current graduate student Ellen Burke presented on her work with children with autism. Students in the Masters program in drama therapy were able to meet professionals in the field.

The Barrier-Free Theatre, a group of adults with and without disabilities, presented their play "Reunited: A Tale of 2 Planets" in the Purple Masque Theatre April 15-17. The NADTA Regional conference members attended as part of the conference on Saturday night. The Barrier-Free Theatre is a partnership between the K-State Drama Therapy Program and City of Manhattan Parks and Recreation Dept. Each year the group creates an original play through improvisation which is then scripted and rehearsed under the direction of Sally Bailey, a Registered Drama Therapist and director of the Drama Therapy Program. Many drama therapy graduate students and undergraduate students interested in drama therapy, speech pathology, and special education participate in the creation and performance of the play. Teri Holmberg, music therapist in SMTD, served as Musical Director for the play. After the Saturday performance, the cast had a talk-back with the audience so they could answer questions about how the play was created and what they thought about being in a play.

This was the first time that K-State hosted the Central Region conference.